Finger fence and protector



W. H. PARRY.

FINGER FENCE AND PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-13,1919.

Patented June 7, 1921s [I ll| f||llli llllllllli WILLIAM H. PARRY, OFFAYETTEVI LLEyNOB/TH CAROLINA.

FINGER FENCE AND PROTECTOR.

Specification of'Letters Patent.

Application filed. November 13, 1919. Serial No. 337,900.

which when in position will serve as a means for protecting the fingeragainst rubbing contact with the edge of a board, a.

sheet of metal, or other piece of work, when the carpenter or otherartisan is in the act of marking off a line parallel to the edge of thepiece of work, and which will not only protect the finger but serve as aguide for determining the position of the finger during the movement ofthe hand in marking off the parallel line.

Another object of the invention is to provide a protector or fence forthe finger which is of a peculiar construction adapting it to itsparticular use, and which at the same time will not interfere with theuse of the forefinger in holding nails, tools, and other devices whichrequire theme of the forefinger and without the removal of the guard orfence.

The above, and various other objects and advantages of this invention,will be in part described in, and in part understood from, the followingdetail description of the present preferred embodiment, the same beingillustrated in the accompanying drawing,

wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of a finger guard and fenceconstructed according to the present invention, the view showing thedevice worn on the finger and in use.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device, a portion of the finger beingshown as supporting the same. r

Fig. 3 is an inner edge view of the device.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the device taken on the line 44 of theFig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a similar view enlarged, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2, andshowing the device as applied to a piece of work and to a straight edge,ruler or the like.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of 4 9 device as applied to the finger, andillustrate the natural use of the finger in holding a nail while thedevice is worn.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a slightly modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, wherein similar parts are designated bycorresponding numbers of reference thoughout the several views, thefinger protector and fence of the present invention, and in itspreferred form, comprises a one piece sheet metal body part 1, stampedand bent to the desired shape to provide opposed arms or portions 10 and11 adapted to engage the opposite edges of the finger, the portion 10being the outer edge portion for contact with the work and the otherportion 11 being the inner portion or the resilient part used formaintaining the finger protector in place.

The finger protector is cut and stamped to provide a stall or thimbleshaped device which is U shape in form and which has the arms 10 and 11thereof transversely curved to fit substantially close to the-edgeportions of the finger and to provide spaces 12 at opposite sides of theprotector through which the top and bottom portions of the finger areexposed. The outer edge portion or arm 10 i provided with alongitudinally eX tending, relatively flat, bearing portion 18 adaptedto abut against the edge of a board A, sheet of metal or other piece ofwork against which the protector is adapted to be held and movedlongitudinally against said edge. The arm 10 is provided, at preferablythe top of the bearing face 13, with a longitudinally extending andoutstanding rib or flange 14, projecting at substantially right anglesto the plane of the bearing face 18 and adapted to lap over theupper-edge portion of the piece of work A for supporting the fingerprotector and fence from slipping'down at the side or edge of the pieceof work. The rib or flange 14 is in the forin of a shoe adapted to slideover the upper surface of the work to maintain the finger, and hand,which supports the ruler B in the ordinary manner from moving upwardlyand downwardly, and thus insuring a more accurate measurement andmarking off of the piece of work. The outer arm or edge portion 10 isalso provided with a supporting ledge 15 which'projects upwardly and isarched inwardly from the flange or rib 14 in position to receive theruler B thereacross for aiding the finger in sup- Patented J une 7,1921.

porting and rigidly maintaining the ruler in proper position. It will benoted that the rib 14 and the member 15 constitute a rigid,noiryielcling spacing means between the piece of work A and the ruler B,at the same time permitting the required movement of the ruler B overthe piece of work without changing the relative positions of the rulerand the work. The provision of the flange let and the support 15therefore insures accuracy in the use of the ruler B.

As shown at 12, and particularly in Fig. 6, the opening or space at theunder side of the finger guard or stall exposes a sufiicient portion ofthe finger to enable the use of the finger, while the finger guard ismaintained in position, for grasping a nail C, or other suitable device,and making various adjustments with thumb screws and the like, requiringdirect contact with the finger. The device is made of resilient metaland of a size andshape to conform to the end of the average finger, thespring arm 11 being connected to the body portion of the device by arelatively narrow resilient neck 16 admitting of considerable expansionof the device over large finger tips, and yieldingly urging the arm 11toward the arm 10 so as to accommodate the device to thin fingers.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7 the resilient or inner arm 17 may beof flexible material such as leather, rubber or any other material orcomposition of materials which is cut and stamped to form the inner armof the device, and which may be connected to the outer end portion ofthe arm 10 by a strip 18 extending from the arm 17 and secured by arivet 19 or the like to the arm 10. The inner end of the flexible arm 17is connected to the body part in any suit able manner, such as by arivet 20 which is headed or otherwise suitably secured against theexterior surface of the metal. part of the device. The arm 17 terminatesat its free end in a tab 21 adapted to be grasped by the fingers of theother hand for drawing the finger guard and fence into and out ofengagement with the finger, the

tab 21 being so located that it assists in other suitable device, isgrasped in the hand in the ordinary manner with the thumb on top of theruler, as shown in Fig. 1, and with the ruler passing over theforefinger, The hand is now applied to the piece of work A and with theedge of the finger toward the piece of work. The protector has the flatbearing face 13 which engages the edge of the work A and has the rib 14-which overlaps the work A to hold the fence in proper relation to thework and prevent it from sliding down at the edge thereof. The rib 19':extends throughout the entire length of the arm 10. and gradually mergesinto the neck 16, the rib being of uniform width throughout the lengthof the arm and constituting a shoe or slide adapted to move over theupper face of the work. The support 15 extends above the rib 1 1, asshown to advantage in Fig. 5, and the ruler B is adapted to engage overthis support and to be held thereagainst by the thumb, the bearing face18 holding the support 15 from swinging upon the rib 14: as a pivot andthus maintaining definite relation between the ruler B and the work A.

What is claimed is:

1. A finger guard and fence comprising a body part having a bearingsurface adapted to engage the edge of a piece of work along which thefinger is to be drawn for protecting the finger and provided with anoutstanding portion adapted to overlap the work to support the guard andfinger.

2. A finger guard and fence comprising a body member having a portionadapted to engage over the edge of a finger, said portion having anoutwardly directed bearing face for contact with the edge of a piece ofwork to protect the finger against rubbing the work when the finger isdrawn along the edge of the work, said portion also having a flange atthe top of said bearing face adapted to overlap the upper side of thework and support the guard on the work,

' said portion of the body member also hav- 'ing a support rising fromsaid flange to a position above the upper surface or the work andadapted to support a rule thereacross in a definite position relative tothe work.

3. A finger guard and fence comprising a body-part adapted to be engagedover the end of a finger for protecting the edges thereof in running thefinger along the edge of piece of work, said body part having anoutstanding rib adapt-ed to overlap the piece of work and support thefinger from falling away from the work, said body part also havingopenings at opposite sides between the edges thereof for admittingordinary use of the finger without removing the guard.

WILLIAM H. PARRY.

